Title 10 published on 2013-01-01
The following are only the Rules published in the Federal Register after the published date of Title 10.
For a complete list of all Rules, Proposed Rules, and Notices view the Rulemaking tab.
The Department of Energy revises existing regulations covering contractor legal management requirements. Conforming amendments are also made to the Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation (DEAR). The regulations provide rules for handling of legal matters and associated costs by certain contractors whose contracts exceed $100,000,000 as well as legal counsel retained directly by the Department for matters in which costs exceed $100,000.
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including distribution transformers. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine whether more-stringent standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. In this final rule, DOE is adopting more-stringent energy conservation standards for distribution transformers. It has determined that the amended energy conservation standards for this equipment would result in significant conservation of energy, and are technologically feasible and economically justified.
On February 17, 2012 (77 FR 9515), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a direct final rule amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International, Inc. (Holtec) HI-STORM 100 Cask System listing within the “List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks” to include Amendment No. 8 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1014. The direct final rule was effective on May 2, 2012 (77 FR 24585; April 25, 2012). The NRC has made non-substantive corrections to the technical specifications (TS) and the NRC's Safety Evaluation Report (SER) for the Holtec HI-STORM 100 Cask System, Amendment No. 8. The purpose of this document is to provide notification that the NRC is amending its regulations by revising the Holtec HI-STORM 100 Cask System listing within the “List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks” to include notification that Amendment No. 8 to CoC No. 1014 was corrected on November 16, 2012.
This document announces the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) denial of a petition from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) requesting reconsideration of DOE's final rule to amend the test procedures for residential dishwashers, dehumidifiers, and conventional cooking products, as well as the direct final rule to amend energy conservation standards for dishwashers.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to establish security requirements for the use and transport of category 1 and category 2 quantities of radioactive material. The NRC considers these quantities to be risk significant and, therefore, to warrant additional protection. Category 1 and category 2 thresholds are based on the quantities established by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in its Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources, which the NRC endorses. The objective of this final rule is to provide reasonable assurance of preventing the theft or diversion of category 1 and category 2 quantities of radioactive material. The regulations also include security requirements for the transportation of irradiated reactor fuel that weighs 100 grams or less in net weight of irradiated fuel. The final rule affects any licensee that possesses an aggregated category 1 or category 2 quantity of radioactive material, any licensee that transports these materials using ground transportation, and any licensee that transports small quantities of irradiated reactor fuel. The rule also considers a petition for rulemaking (PRM-71-13) submitted by the State of Washington that requested that the NRC adopt the use of global positioning satellite tracking as a national requirement for vehicles transporting highly radioactive mobile or portable radioactive devices.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc. (NAC) Modular Advanced Generation Nuclear All-purpose Storage (MAGNASTOR®) System listing within the “List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks” to include Amendment No. 3 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1031. Amendment No. 3 revises authorized contents to include: Pressurized water reactor (PWR) damaged fuel contained in damaged fuel (DF) cans that are placed in a damaged fuel basket assembly; PWR fuel assemblies with nonfuel hardware per the expanded definition in the Amendment No. 3 application; and PWR fuel assemblies with up to five activated stainless steel fuel replacement rods at a maximum burnup/exposure of 32.5 gigawatt days per metric ton of uranium (GWd/MTU). Additionally, Amendment No. 3 revises paragraph 4.3.1(i) in appendix A of the CoC Technical Specifications (TS) to clarify that the maximum design basis earthquake accelerations of 0.37g in the horizontal direction (without cask sliding) and 0.25g in the vertical direction at the independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) pad top surface do not result in cask tip-over. Amendment No. 3 also makes additional changes to appendix A, Technical Specifications and Design Features for the MAGNASTOR® System, and appendix B, Approved Contents for the MAGNASTOR® System, of the CoC.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its export and import regulations by adding South Sudan to the list of restricted destinations. This amendment is necessary to conform the NRC's regulations with U.S. Government foreign policy.
On November 23, 2011, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR) to amend the test procedures for microwave ovens. That SNOPR proposed amendments to the DOE test procedure to incorporate provisions from the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62301, “Household electrical appliances—Measurement of standby power,” Edition 2.0 2011-01 (IEC Standard 62301 (Second Edition)). DOE published a second SNOPR on May 16, 2012, proposing additional provisions for measuring the standby mode and off mode energy use of products that combine a microwave oven with other appliance functionality, as well as minor technical clarifications. Those proposed rulemakings serve as the basis for today's action. DOE is issuing a final rule amending the DOE test procedure to incorporate by reference the proposed provisions from IEC Standard 62301 (Second Edition) and the technical clarifications. DOE is not amending the test procedure at this time to measure the energy consumption of products that combine microwave ovens with other appliance functionality, but may consider such amendments in a future rulemaking.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a new regulatory guide (RG) 4.22, “Decommissioning Planning During Operations.” The guide describes a method that the NRC staff considers acceptable for use by holders of licenses in complying with the NRC's Decommissioning Planning Rule (DPR) (76 FR 35512; June 17, 2011). The DPR went into effect on December 17, 2012, and is intended to minimize the likelihood of new “legacy sites,” which are NRC-licensed facilities with insufficient resources to complete decommissioning activities and termination of a license at the end of operations.
The following are ALL rules, proposed rules, and notices (chronologically) published in the Federal Register relating to Title 10 after this date.
This notice announces an open meeting of the Commercial Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning (HVAC), Water Heating (WH), and Refrigeration Certification Working Group (Commercial Certification Group). The purpose of the Commercial Certification Group is to undertake a negotiated rulemaking to discuss and, if possible, reach consensus on proposed certification and compliance requirements for commercial HVAC, WH, and refrigeration equipment, as authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended.
On April 8, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR) for test procedures for showerheads, faucets, water closets, urinals and commercial prerinse spray valves in the Federal Register . This document announces an extension of the public comment period for submitting comments on the SNOPR or any other aspect of this test procedure rulemaking. The comment period is extended to June 7, 2013.
The comment period for the notice of public meeting and availability of the Framework Document pertaining to the development of energy conservation standards for commercial and industrial fan and blower equipment published on February 1, 2013, is extended to June 3, 2013.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations to streamline its process for addressing petitions for rulemaking (PRMs). The proposed amendments are intended to improve transparency and make the PRM process more efficient and effective.
On March 15, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice of public meeting and availability of the Framework Document regarding energy conservation standards for residential ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits in the Federal Register. This document announces an extension of the public comment period for submitting comments on the Framework Document or any other aspect of the rulemaking for ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits. The comment period is extended to June 14, 2013. DOE is also correcting an error in the docket number set forth in two places in the prior notice.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking to consider amended energy conservation standards for commercial warm air furnaces. Once completed, this rulemaking will fulfill DOE's statutory obligation by December 31, 2013 to either propose amended energy conservation standards for warm air furnaces or to make a determination that the existing standards do not need to be amended. This notice seeks to solicit information to assist DOE in determining whether national standards more stringent than those that are currently in place would result in a significant amount of additional energy savings and whether such amended national standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified. In overview, this document presents a brief description of the analysis DOE plans to perform for this rulemaking and requests comment on various issues relating to each of the analyses ( e.g., market assessment, engineering analysis, energy use analysis, life-cycle cost and payback period analysis, and national impact analysis). Although this document contains numerous specific topics on which the Department is particularly interested in receiving written comment, DOE welcomes views and information from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking (including relevant matters not specifically raised in this RFI).
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing for comment a notice of receipt of a petition for rulemaking (PRM) filed with the Commission by Ellen C. Ginsberg on behalf of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI or the petitioner) on January 25, 2013. The petition was docketed by the NRC on February 4, 2013, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-73-16. The petitioner requests that the NRC amend its regulations to limit the scope of third-party review of licensee decisions denying or revoking an employee's unescorted access at their facility. The petitioner seeks to ensure that such decisions cannot be overturned by any third party. The petitioner also requests an expedited review of this petition based on pending arbitration cases that will be affected by NRC action on this petition. The NRC has reviewed the petitioner's request for an expedited review of this petition and has determined that the petition should be expedited due to the aforementioned pending arbitration cases. Therefore, the NRC is limiting the public comment period to 45 days. While 75 days is the normal duration for NRC technical rules, the NRC believes that 45 days provides sufficient time for stakeholders to comment.
This notice announces an open meeting of the Commercial Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning (HVAC), Water Heating (WH), and Refrigeration Certification Working Group (Commercial Certification Group). The purpose of the Commercial Certification Group is to undertake a negotiated rulemaking to discuss and, if possible, reach consensus on proposed certification requirements for commercial HVAC, WH, and refrigeration equipment, as authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended, 42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)(C) and 6317(a).
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will consider the issues raised in a petition for rulemaking (PRM), PRM-26-8, submitted by Mr. Thomas King (the petitioner) in the NRC's rulemaking process. The petitioner requested that the NRC amend its Fitness for Duty program regulations to amend drug testing requirements to test for additional synthetic drugs currently not included in the regulations. The NRC determined that the issues raised in the PRM are appropriate for consideration in an ongoing rulemaking on Drug and Alcohol Testing. The NRC is not instituting a public comment period at this time.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is denying a petition for rulemaking (PRM), PRM-73-15, dated September 15, 2011, which was filed with the NRC by George Hamawy (the petitioner). The petitioner requested that the NRC amend its regulations to require the installation of radiation alarms for rooms housing neutron sources.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is requesting comment on the draft regulatory basis document to support the potential amendment of its regulations concerning nuclear power plant licensees' station blackout mitigation strategies. Appendix A of the draft regulatory basis provides a discussion of rule language concepts that the NRC staff is considering for this potential rulemaking. In addition, Appendix A contains a set of questions soliciting stakeholder feedback in areas that would support the NRC staff in developing a proposed rule. The issuance of this draft regulatory basis document is one of the actions stemming from the NRC's lessons-learned efforts associated with the March 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes amendments to its May 2012 notice of proposed rulemaking related to DOE test procedures for showerheads, faucets, water closets, urinals, and commercial prerinse spray valves. The amendments proposed in this supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking include revisions to the definitions of showerhead and hand-held showerhead; removal of body sprays from the proposed showerhead definition; requirements pertaining to testing of showerheads that are components of shower towers; a standardized test method to be used when verifying the mechanical retention of a showerhead flow control insert when subjected to 8 pounds force; clarification of permissible trim adjustments for tank-type water closets; and amendments to the required static test pressures to be used when testing flushometer valve siphonic and blowout water closets. DOE also proposes further clarification of the definition of basic model with respect to flushometer valve water closets and urinals, as well as associated changes to certification reporting requirements for these products.
This proposed rule would correct the energy conservation standards for room air conditioners. In the direct final rule establishing amended energy conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners, published in the Federal Register on April 21, 2011, and the subsequent notices of effective date and compliance dates for the direct final rule and amendment of compliance dates, published on August 24, 2011, the Department of Energy (DOE) erroneously specified the maximum cooling capacity for product class 5a for room air conditioners without reverse cycle and with louvered sides as 24,999 British thermal units per hour (Btu/h), and the minimum cooling capacity for product class 5b for room air conditioners without reverse cycle and with louvered sides as 25,000 Btu/h, rather than 27,999 Btu/h and 28,000 Btu/h, respectively.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) to begin the process of potentially amending its regulations to change the interlocutory appeals process for certain adjudicatory decisions. The NRC seeks public comment on these potential changes to the interlocutory appeals process.
On February 28, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice of public meeting and availability of the preliminary analysis on general service fluorescent lamps (GSFLs) and incandescent reflector lamps (IRLs) energy conservation standards in the Federal Register . This notice announces an extension of the public comment period for submitting comments on the preliminary analysis or any other aspect of the rulemaking for GSFLs and IRLs. The comment period is extended to May 13, 2013.
On February 28, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice of public meeting and availability of the interim technical support document (TSD) for high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps energy conservation standards in the Federal Register . This document announces an extension of the public comment period for submitting comments on the interim TSD or any other aspect of the rulemaking for HID lamps. The comment period is extended to May 17, 2013.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to establish test procedures for electrically-powered devices used in residential heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) products to circulate air through ductwork, hereafter referred to as “furnace fans.” DOE proposes a test procedure that would be applicable to furnace fans that are used in weatherized and non-weatherized gas, oil and electric furnaces and modular blowers, even though DOE interprets its authority as encompassing more than just circulation fans used in furnaces. This notice proposes to establish a test method for measuring the electrical consumption of the furnace fans used in these products. Concurrently, DOE is undertaking an energy conservation standards rulemaking to address the electrical energy used by these products for circulating air. Once these energy conservation standards are promulgated, the adopted test procedures would be used to determine compliance with the standards. DOE is also requesting written comments on issues presented in this test procedure rulemaking. DOE does not plan to hold a public meeting to discuss the modified proposals of this supplemental notice.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requests public comment on Draft Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation Interim Staff Guidance No. 26A (SFST-ISG-26A), Revision 0, “Shielding and Radiation Protection Review Effort and Licensing Conditions for 10 CFR Part 72 Applications.”
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requests information to help inform its current rulemaking in which it has proposed to set energy conservation standards for classes of battery chargers and external power supplies. Specifically, DOE seeks information on battery chargers that manufacturers have certified as compliant with the California Energy Commission (CEC) standards that became effective on February 1, 2013. DOE is actively reviewing battery chargers that have been certified as compliant with the CEC standards to determine if the analysis DOE prepared in support of the notice of proposed rulemaking for Battery Chargers and External Power Supplies published on March 27, 2012, needs revision in light of the availability of these products. Based on testing data and information received from stakeholders, DOE may propose alternative energy conservation standard levels for battery chargers if it is determined that new energy conservation standards for battery chargers are technologically feasible and economically justified. If DOE determined that different standards could satisfy these criteria, DOE would issue a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking in order to discuss any new findings, propose alternative energy conservation standard levels, and request stakeholder feedback. At this time, DOE welcomes written comments from the public on the issues brought up in this Request for Information or on any other topic within the scope of this rulemaking.
On February 22, 2013, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a document in the Federal Register initiating a rulemaking to evaluate energy conservation standards for packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs) and packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs). In that document, DOE announced the availability of a framework document. This document announces an extension of the public comment period for submitting comments on the framework document or any other aspect of the rulemaking for PTACs and PTHPs. The comment period is extended to April 25, 2013.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc., Modular Advanced Generation Nuclear All-purpose Storage (MAGNASTOR®) Cask System listing within the “List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks” to include Amendment No. 3 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1031. Amendment No. 3 includes changes that would revise authorized contents to include: pressurized water reactor (PWR) damaged fuel contained in damaged fuel cans that are placed in a damaged fuel basket assembly; PWR fuel assemblies with nonfuel hardware per the expanded definition in the Amendment No. 3 application; and PWR fuel assemblies with up to five activated stainless steel fuel replacement rods at a maximum burnup/exposure of 32.5 gigawatt days per metric ton of uranium (GWd/MTU). Additionally, Amendment No. 3 would revise paragraph 4.3.1(i) in appendix A of the CoC Technical Specifications (TS), to clarify that the maximum design basis earthquake accelerations of 0.37g in the horizontal direction (without cask sliding) and 0.25g in the vertical direction at the independent spent fuel storage installation pad top surface do not result in cask tip-over. Amendment No. 3 would make additional changes to appendix A, Technical Specifications and Design Features for the MAGNASTOR® System, and appendix B, Approved Contents for the MAGNASTOR® System, of the CoC TS.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating the rulemaking and data collection process to consider amending the energy conservation standards for ceiling fans and ceiling fan light kits. DOE also plans to conduct a test procedure rulemaking for these products. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a Framework Document that details the analytical approach and scope of coverage for the rulemaking, and identifies several issues on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comment. DOE will hold an informal public meeting to discuss and receive comments on its analytical approach and issues it will address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is informing the public of its collection of shipment data and creation of spreadsheet models to provide comparisons between actual and benchmark estimate unit sales of five lamp types ( i.e., rough service lamps, vibration service lamps, 3-way incandescent lamps, 2,601-3,300 lumen general service incandescent lamps, and shatter-resistant lamps), which are currently exempt from energy conservation standards. As the actual sales do not exceed the forecasted estimate by 100 percent for any lamp type ( i.e., the threshold triggering a rulemaking for an energy conservation standard for that lamp type has not been exceeded), DOE has determined that no regulatory action is necessary at this time. However, DOE will continue to track sales data for these exempted lamps. Relating to this activity, DOE has prepared, and is making available on its Web site, a spreadsheet showing the comparisons of anticipated versus actual sales, as well as the model used to generate the original sales estimates.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is giving notice that the Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC) intends to establish a working group in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and the Negotiated Rulemaking Act (NRA) to negotiate certification requirements of commercial heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), water heating (WH), and refrigeration equipment. The purpose of the working group will be to discuss and, if possible, reach consensus on proposed certification requirements for commercial HVAC, WH, and refrigeration equipment, as authorized by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975, as amended. The working group members will be representatives of parties having a defined stake in the outcome of the proposed certification requirements, and will consult with a range of experts on technical issues.
On January 19, 2012, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in which DOE proposed a new test procedure for television sets (TVs). To address comments in response to the NOPR, DOE conducted additional research and analysis, which is incorporated in today's supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR). DOE also incorporated elements from the draft Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) standard “CEA-2037-A, Determination of Television Average Power Consumption” into the SNOPR. In today's SNOPR, DOE proposes to update the input power requirements in the TVs test procedure NOPR by referencing International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62301 Ed. 2.0, “Household electrical appliances—Measurement of standby power.” The SNOPR also proposes to include example accuracy tolerance calculations for light measuring devices (LMD). Additionally, DOE proposes to update the video source input cable hierarchy in the test procedure, as well as specify the TV input terminal for testing. Further, today's SNOPR clarifies TV warm-up and stabilization prior to testing, removes the standby-active, high mode test, includes a test for standby-active, low mode, updates the test order, and provides details for testing TVs shipped with Automatic Brightness Control (ABC) enabled. Finally, today's SNOPR adds rounding requirements to the TV test procedure NOPR that provide guidance for any calculated values used for representation in multiple metric outputs, including an annual energy consumption metric. The multiple metric outputs will also be subject to a sampling plan in today's SNOPR. DOE will hold a public meeting to receive and discuss comments on the proposal.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has completed an initial analysis that estimates the potential economic impacts and energy savings that could result from promulgating a regulatory energy conservation standard for set-top boxes. At this time, DOE is not proposing any energy conservation standard for set-top boxes. However, it is publishing this initial analysis so stakeholders can review the analysis's output and the underlining assumptions and calculations that might ultimately support a proposed standard. DOE encourages stakeholders to provide any additional data or information that may improve the analysis. The analysis is now publically available at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/33.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend the licensing, inspection, and annual fees charged to its applicants and licensees. The proposed amendments are necessary to implement the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990 (OBRA-90), as amended, which requires the NRC to recover through fees approximately 90 percent of its budget authority in Fiscal Year (FY) 2013, not including amounts appropriated for Waste Incidental to Reprocessing (WIR) and amounts appropriated for generic homeland security activities. The NRC is currently operating under a Continuing Resolution (CR) which is set to expire on March 27, 2013. Based on the FY 2013 budget submitted to the Congress, the NRC is proposing fees in this rulemaking based on the FY 2013 budget which is estimated to be $1,053.2 million. After accounting for billing adjustments, the total amount to be billed as fees is approximately $924.8 million. These fees are subject to change pending congressional action which may include sequestration, full-year CR or issuance of an FY 2013 appropriation which differs from the FY 2013 budget submitted to Congress which could result in higher or lower fees than those proposed in this rulemaking.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) published a notice in the Federal Register on February 22, 2013, concerning an announcement of a public meeting and availability of the framework document for packaged terminal air conditioners and heat pumps. This document corrects the date of the public meeting.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on: the product classes that DOE plans to analyze for purposes of amending energy conservation standards for general service fluorescent lamps (GSFLs) and incandescent reflector lamps (IRLs); the analytical framework, models, and tools that DOE is using to evaluate standards for GSFLs and IRLs; the results of preliminary analyses DOE performed for these products; and potential energy conservation standard levels derived from these analyses that DOE could consider for GSFLs and IRLs. DOE encourages written comments on these subjects. To inform interested parties and facilitate this process, DOE has prepared an agenda, a preliminary technical support document (TSD), and briefing materials, which are available on regulations.gov, docket number EERE-2011-BT-STD-0006 at www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2011-BT-STD-0006.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on the interim analysis it has conducted for purposes of establishing energy conservation standards for high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. The meeting will cover the analytical framework, models, and tools that DOE is using to evaluate standards for this equipment; the results of interim analyses performed by DOE for this equipment; the potential energy conservation standard levels derived from these analyses that DOE could consider for this equipment; and any other issues relevant to the development of energy conservation standards for HID lamps. In addition, DOE encourages written comments on these subjects. To inform interested parties and facilitate this process, DOE has prepared an agenda, an interim technical support document (TSD), and briefing materials, which are available on the DOE Web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/23.
The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as amended, prescribes energy conservation standards for various consumer products and certain commercial and industrial equipment, including residential water heaters. EPCA also requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to determine whether more stringent amended standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would save a significant amount of energy. Accordingly, DOE established amended energy conservation standards for several classes of residential water heaters in an April 2010 final rule. Subsequent to the publication of that final rule, a number of utility companies brought forth concerns regarding the amended energy conservation standard levels for electric storage water heaters and the impact of these standards on electric thermal storage programs that utility companies administer to manage peak load. In this document, DOE proposes to establish a waiver process that will mitigate the concerns of utility companies regarding the implementation of the April 2010 standard levels by allowing for the manufacture of certain large-volume electric storage water heaters provided that they meet a set of conditions discussed in this proposed rule. The document also announces a public meeting to receive comment on the proposed waiver process and criteria for obtaining a waiver.
The comment period for the notice of public meeting and availability of the Framework Document pertaining to the development of energy conservation standards for commercial and industrial fan and blower equipment published on February 1, 2013, is extended to May 2, 2013.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking and data collection process to consider amending energy conservation standards for packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs) and packaged terminal heat pumps (PTHPs). DOE will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on its planned analytical approach and issues it will address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a framework document that details the analytical approach and identifies several issues on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments.
The comment period for the notice of public meeting and availability of the Framework Document pertaining to the development of energy conservation standards for commercial and industrial pumps published on February 1, 2013, is extended to May 2, 2013.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating the rulemaking and data collection process to consider amending the energy conservation standards for residential boilers. This rulemaking will satisfy the statutory requirement for DOE to conduct a second round of energy conservation standards rulemaking for residential boilers, and it will also fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to review energy conservation standards within six years after issuance of any final rule establishing or amending a standard to determine whether such standards should be amended. After concluding its initial review of the available information and public comments, DOE will publish either a notice of the determination that standards do not need to be amended, or a notice of proposed rulemaking including new proposed standards. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a Framework Document that details the analytical approach and scope of coverage for the rulemaking, and identifies several issues on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments. DOE will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on its planned analytical approach and issues it will address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking. A copy of the Framework Document is available at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/furnaces_boilers.html .
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to amend its test procedures for residential clothes dryers established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The proposed amendments would clarify the installation conditions for console lights, the method for measuring the drum capacity, the maximum allowable scale range, and the allowable use of a relative humidity meter.
This notice announces that the period for submitting comments to the notice of proposed determination, published December 31, 2012, about commercial and industrial compressors is reopening to February 28, 2013.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing for public comment a notice of receipt for a petition for rulemaking (PRM), dated October 3, 2012, which was filed with the NRC by Anthony R. Pietrangelo on behalf of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI or the petitioner). The petition was docketed by the NRC on October 18, 2012, and assigned Docket No. PRM-72-7. The petitioner requests that the NRC add a new rule that governs the format and content of spent fuel storage cask Certificates of Compliance (CoCs), extend the backfit rule to CoCs, and make other improvements that result in “more efficient and effective NRC oversight of dry cask storage activities as well as improved implementation of dry cask storage requirements by industry.”
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedure for residential furnaces and boilers established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. This rulemaking would adopt needed equations, applicable to certain classes of these products, which were omitted from the relevant industry standard incorporated by reference in the DOE test procedure.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedures for microwave ovens established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The proposed amendments would add provisions for measuring the active mode energy use for microwave ovens, including both microwave-only ovens and convection microwave ovens. Specifically, DOE is proposing provisions for measuring the energy use of the microwave-only cooking mode for both microwave-only ovens and convection microwave ovens based on the testing methods in the latest draft version of the International Electrotechnical Commission Standard 60705, “Household microwave ovens—Methods for measuring performance.” DOE is proposing provisions for measuring the energy use of the convection-only cooking mode for convection microwave ovens based on the DOE test procedure for conventional ovens in our regulations. DOE is also proposing to calculate the energy use of the convection-microwave cooking mode for convection microwave ovens by apportioning the microwave-only mode and convection-only mode energy consumption measurements based on typical consumer use.
Pursuant to the American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating an effort to determine whether to amend the current energy conservation standards for certain commercial air-conditioning and heating equipment. This notice seeks to solicit information from the public to help DOE determine whether national standards more stringent than those that are currently in place would result in a significant amount of additional energy savings and whether those national standards would be technologically feasible and economically justified. Separately, DOE also seeks information from the public on the merits of adopting the integrated energy efficiency ratio (IEER) as the energy efficiency descriptor for small, large, and very large air-cooled commercial air conditioners and heat pumps.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering energy conservation standards for commercial and industrial pumps. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a Framework Document that details the analytical approach and preliminary scope of the rulemaking, and identifies several issues on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments. DOE will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on its planned analytical approach and issues it will address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking. A copy of the Framework Document is available at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/14.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering energy conservation standards for commercial and industrial fans and blowers. To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a Framework Document that details the analytical approach and scope for this rulemaking and identifies several issues on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comments. DOE will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive comments on its planned analytical approach and issues it will address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking. A copy of the Framework Document is available at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/25
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedures for cooking products established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. Test procedures for cooking products can be found at DOE's regulations for Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products, subpart B, appendix I (Appendix I). The proposed amendments to Appendix I would amend the test method for measuring the energy efficiency of induction cooking tops and ranges. Appendix I does not currently include any test methods applicable to induction cooking products. The proposed amendments would incorporate induction cooking tops by amending the definition of “conventional cooking top” to include induction heating technology. Furthermore, the proposed amendments would require for cooking tops the use of test equipment compatible with induction technology as well as with gas burners and electric resistance heating elements. Specifically, the amendments would replace the solid aluminum test blocks currently specified in the test procedure for cooking tops with hybrid test blocks comprising two separate pieces: an aluminum body and a stainless steel base. Appendix I currently specifies the test block size for electric cooking tops based on the surface unit diameter; however, there are no provisions for determining which test block size to use for non-circular electric surface units. The proposed amendments include a clarification that the test block size be determined using the smallest dimension of the electric surface unit.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to establish a new test procedure for set-top boxes (STBs). The proposed test procedure describes the methods for measuring the power consumption of STBs in the on, sleep (commonly known as standby mode), and off modes. Further, an annual energy consumption (AEC) metric is proposed to calculate the annualized energy consumption of the STB based on its power consumption in the different modes of operation. DOE has tentatively identified that the test methods described in the draft Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) standard, CEA-2043, “Set-top Box (STB) Power Measurement” are appropriate to use as a basis for developing the test procedure for STBs. The draft CEA-2043 standard specifies the test methods for determining the power consumption of a STB in the on, sleep, and off modes. The proposed test procedure in this rulemaking is primarily based on the draft CEA-2043 standard, which was issued as an email ballot to the members of the CEA working group developing the standard for a vote on November 27, 2012.
The regulations for packaging and transport of spent nuclear fuel are separate from requirements for storage of spent nuclear fuel. Because these regulatory schemes are separate, there is no requirement that loaded storage casks also meet transportation requirements. Integration of storage and transport regulations could enable a more predictable transition from storage to transport by potentially minimizing future handling of spent fuel and uncertainty as to whether loaded storage casks may be transported from the storage location. As part of its evaluation of integration and compatibility between storage and transportation regulations, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is reviewing its policies, regulations, guidance, and technical needs in several key areas, such as: retrievability, cladding integrity, and safe handling of spent fuel; criticality safety features and requirements for spent fuel transportation; and aging management and qualification of dual-purpose canisters and components after long-term storage. The NRC staff is reviewing the potential policy issues and requirements related to retrievability, cladding integrity, and safe handling of spent fuel as the lead issue for evaluating compatibility of storage and transportation regulations. As part of its evaluation of integration and compatibility between NRC's storage regulations and transportation regulations, the NRC is issuing this request for comment (available in the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession No. ML12293A434) as the staff begins its review of NRC policies, guidance, and technical needs related to retrievability, cladding integrity, and safe handling of spent fuel.
Through this Request for Information (RFI), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating the rulemaking and data collection process to develop a uniform efficiency descriptor and accompanying test method for residential water heaters and commercial water heaters. This test procedure rulemaking is intended to fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to develop a uniform efficiency descriptor for residential and commercial water heaters pursuant to the amendments to the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) brought about by the American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections Act (AEMTCA; H.R. 6582), which was signed into law on December 18, 2012 (Pub. L. 112-210). To inform interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has identified several issues in this RFI on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comment from interested parties. In overview, the issues outlined in this document are mainly associated with: Currently available efficiency metrics and test procedures for rating the efficiency of residential and commercial water heaters; the requirements for a uniform metric set forth in the AEMTCA; and available options for DOE to address those statutory requirements. DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking (including relevant topics not specifically raised in this RFI).
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is proposing regulations that would implement its authority under Section 161A of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA), and revise existing regulations governing security event notifications. The NRC proposed new regulations on February 3, 2011, that would implement its authority under Section 161A. The NRC is now proposing to further revise its regulations that address the voluntary application for enhanced weapons authority, preemption authority, and the mandatory firearms background checks under Section 161A to include as a class of designated facilities at-reactor, independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs).
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is correcting a document appearing in the Federal Register on December 7, 2012 entitled, “Low-Level Waste Disposal” that announced the availability of a regulatory basis document and requested comment on preliminary rule language. This action is necessary to correct the title and number used to access the regulatory basis document in the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS).
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is issuing a draft regulatory basis document to support the potential amendment of its regulations concerning nuclear power plant licensees' onsite emergency response capabilities. The NRC is seeking public comments on this document. The issuance of this draft regulatory basis document is one of the actions stemming from the NRC's lessons-learned efforts associated with the March 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking and data collection process to consider amendments to DOE's test procedure for residential furnaces and boilers. Because DOE has recently completed a test procedure rulemaking for the standby mode and off mode energy consumption of these products, the primary focus of this rulemaking will be on active mode operation. This rulemaking is intended to fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years. To inform interested parties and to facilitate the process, DOE has gathered data and has identified several issues that might warrant modifications to the currently applicable test procedures, including topics on which DOE is particularly interested in receiving comment. In overview, the issues outlined in this document mainly concern reducing the test burden, test conditions impacting the annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) metric, test conditions impacting non-AFUE efficiency parameters, the performance test for automatic means in boilers, harmonization of standards, alternative methods for furnace/boiler efficiency determination, and scope. These topics (and others which commenters identify) are ones which DOE anticipates may lead to proposed test procedure amendments in a subsequent notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR). DOE welcomes written comments from the public on any subject related to the test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers, including topics not specifically raised in this RFI.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes to revise its test procedures for residential clothes dryers established under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The proposed amendments to appendix D1 would include testing methods for more accurately measuring the effects of automatic cycle termination. In addition, the proposed amendments would update the reference to the latest edition of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard 62301, “Household electrical appliances—Measurement of standby power,” Edition 2.0 2011-01. For the test procedures at both appendix D and appendix D1, DOE proposes to clarify the cycle settings used for the test cycle and the requirements for the gas supply for gas clothes dryers.
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